


Breakaway

by snarfing



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Hockey Player Nicole Haught, Like so deep she doesnt know shes even in a closet, Slow Burn, and others - Freeform, deep in the closet Waverly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-08-23 14:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16621124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarfing/pseuds/snarfing
Summary: Got this Hockey player AU on the mind---Waverly's first year of college seems to be off to a great start, if she didnt already hate one of her floormates.





	1. Puck Drop

**Author's Note:**

> First fic on here, Also warning I only watch men's hockey and I am aware there are some differences in the sport, but I will just basically be treating women's hockey as men's with just some less fighting to make it easier on me. If theres any concerns let me know.
> 
> I have this planned out to be 19 chapters, but I probably wont finish unless theres interest, just had to get the words out. My tumblr is snarfingwriter but I'm not very active at all. Probably better to keep in touch on here. 
> 
> First chapter is mostly just exhibition.

               “Come on Wynonna, we’re already so late!” Waverly almost shouted already opening the door of the car just as it rolled to a stop.  
  
                “Cool it baby girl, its only ten, you said we had until five to pick up the keys.” The older Earp replied, rolling her eyes but smiling slightly at her little sisters’ excitement.  
  
                “But they started at eight! I wanted to be only fashionably late and we would have been if you didn’t keep stopping.” Her voice was accusatory, but about as scary as a kitten.  She knew Wynonna did her best, but she was still going to razz her about having the world’s smallest bladder. Still, she was buzzing with anticipation and bolted to the room where the check in desk was. The room did not mirror her excitement, the floor was that horrible brown tile and the walls were exposed brick that covered much of the campus for some reason.              

  
                 “Hello, I’m here to check in?” Waverly said to the obviously bored RA handing out keys. When the RA just stared at her blankly and then pointed to the list of names she hurried to clarify. “Earp, spelled like Ear with a P. Waverly is the first name though I doubt there are that man—” She’s cut off by a sigh from the RA as she finishes flipping through the Es and hands her a little envelope that says 77A, Tower A.  
  
                The student starts in a monotone voice, clearly having run through this a hundred times today. “Now that has a key card which will let you into the building, holds your swipes for your meal plan, and will let you check out library books and use the printers as well as a physical key that will let you into your room. Good luck and welcome to your first day as a Cowboy.”

 

                Wynonna snorts at the comment but decides not to push it, nothing should kill the look of joy on her sister’s face right now, even if its ironic that she just drove 1000 miles from their ranch so her sister could become a cowboy.  
  
                The two of them go back to the car and begin to unload the boxes of things Waverly had packed and tetrised into their rental car. Luckily the dorm had an elevator and dollies to help with move in, hauling the boxes up seven flights of stairs was not anyone’s idea of a good Monday and while Wynonna was pretty physically fit, Waverly was most of the sit down with a book type. Certainly not used to carrying heavy boxes while climbing the stairs. Even though she tried to help out on the ranch, her family had always viewed her as the baby and discouraged physical labor.

 

               Despite her earlier protests, most of the doors in the hallway were open, a sign that almost no one had arrived yet, there was only one at the boy’s end of the hall, the resident advisor’s room, and the dorm room right across from her that seemed to be occupied.  
  
                She dropped the last box on the bed and looked around. It wasn’t much, just an old, gross purplish carpet and plain blank walls, two simple wooden desks, two chairs, two dressers, and two beds. To be honest, the room even kind of smelled. Still, Waverly loved it. This was where she was going to finally begin to grow into her own person. She loved her small town in southern California, but she had always been overshadowed by her big sisters, and now was going to be her chance to really spread her wings.  
  
                “Man this place is sort of a dump, isn’t it?” Wynonna commented, almost to herself while she looked around.  
  
                “It’s not that bad, once I unpack everything and decorate, I’m sure it will look ok.” She walked to her nearest box, labeled bedding and began to open it so she could make her bed. “Now, don’t you need to get going?” Waverly turned to her sister, though she was the youngest she always felt like she had some sort of responsibility to keep Wynonna out of trouble and on task. Wynonna was always the wild one, Waverly just did as she was told and studied all day. Sure, she had some friends, but none close enough to sneak out at night to see, and in the end her studies had been her closest companion, well besides Wynonna.  
  
                “I’m sure you’ll work your magic, you managed to turn your room in the ranch to pretty barbie dream house room.” Wynonna laughed in response. Her voice turned then became softer, “You know Waves, I could stay for a bit, help you set up more… help look around campus with you?” It came out more of a question than she meant it to.  
  
                “No. The ranch needs you and I will be fine. Besides, I think I could use some time to myself after having to listen to you sing for just about 20 hours.” Her voice became a bit strained, but she kept the tears from her eyes. “But thanks, Nonna, I really appreciate you helping me out.”    
  
                “You were always destined for greater things than Purgatory, I’m so proud of you, baby girl.” Wynonna pulled her younger sister into a hug and squeezed her tight. “Don’t forget to facetime me every so often and keep up with texts. I know you’re going to be so busy making friends and going to class but don’t forget about your dear older sis.” They stepped away from each other.  
  
                “Never, I’m not like… I won’t forget you. I already added you to my calendar and set an alarm, so I don’t forget to call you, and I put one on your phone on the car ride up so you can remember too.”  
  
                “Always the planner. you’re going to do great things. Bye Waves.” Waverly only waved in response before taking in a deep breath and turning back to her boxes. She sighed heavily, there was going to be a lot of work to do.  


\----

  
  
                A few hours later and Waverly’s room was starting to look good. Her bed was made, her clothes were put away, her desk was set up and she had hung posters of her favorite bands on the wall. She glanced down at her phone noticing it had been a few hours and a text from her new roommate awaited her.  
  
**3:17 Chrissy (roommate):** I am running late, please let the RA know that I wont be in until after the meeting at five. So excited to meet you!

 

                Waverly cursed quietly, sure most of the other students wouldn’t know anyone, but she was hoping to have her first social interaction with the floor to not be her standing awkwardly at the side of the room.

               

**4:08 Me:**  No problem, let me know when you arrive im all unpacked and I can help you get into the building and bring things up. Excited to meet you too :D

 

**4:09 Chrissy (roommate):** Thanks youre a lifesaver  


                Waverly was suddenly struck with anxiety at what to do next. She finished packing, the meeting wasn’t going to be for another hour, and she didn’t have anything to do for classes yet. Maybe now was a good time to go and get food? But she knew there would be food at the meeting tonight, and though she was just beginning to be a college she didn’t have any of her booklists for her classes yet, so she couldn’t even begin to read ahead. Eventually Waverly settled on snapping some pictures to send her sister of how she set up the room.

 

               It wasn’t long after that that she heard someone walking down the hall and knocking at every door down the line and shouting “Floor meeting in five, come on down to the lounge!” over and over.

 

               Waverly took a deep breath and checked herself over in the mirror to make sure she looked ok and headed down to the meeting.  


            The lounge was packed, it was shocking how many students managed to arrive in the seven hours since she had gotten here. A few parents still milled around in the room but mostly it was just full of students sprawled out along every piece of furniture and inch of floor space. Everyone is chatting loudly, and Waverly puts on a happy, approachable face, or at least she hopes that’s what her face is doing just as a woman stands up on the table and claps her hands to quiet the crowd. They do, almost like a spell had washed over them.  
  
                “Hello, my name is Mattie and I will be your resident advisor this year.” Her voice is commanding, but still friendly. Waverly’s eyes move around the room as she talks, taking in the crowd. Everyone seemed pretty fragmented, aside from a small group of athletic people in the front of the room. Probably the jocks, she thought, the would have moved in a week ago and had time to get to know one another. She flicked her eyes back up to the speaker when Mattie began speaking again. “Well. First we’ll go over the floor rules, and then we’ll do some icebreakers.” There was a room wide groan at that. “While I do that I’ll start sending the pizzas and plates around, please wait until everyone has had one to take a second slice…”  


\----

 

               The meeting went on for about an hour and the pizza made it just bearable. The icebreakers ended up being sort of fun and she could see herself becoming friends with a few people in the room, but the rules were exhausting to listen to and she had a very long day so far.

 

               Waverly felt her phone buzz and looked down at the incoming message.

 

**6:06 Chrissy (roommate):**  Hey Waverly, I’m downstairs now let me know when youre on your way, me and my dad are just piling up stuff outside right now.  
  
                Waverly perked up a bit and grabbed a dolly from the hall after making sure she had her key card and physical key. She pushed it to the elevator and rode it down where she saw a tall girl with blond hair and a gruff man with a mustache waiting outside. Immediately she waved and took off towards her.  
  
                “Chrissy! Its so good to finally meet in person. I brought down a dolly to help us carry our stuff up, we’re on the seventh floor could you believe it! And you must be Sheriff Nedley.”  
  
                “You can call me Randy.” The older man simply said. As he began to load the boxes onto the dolly.  
  
                “Its so good to meet you, Waverly. I’ve been so excited since we matched and exchanged numbers, it seems like we’ll really mesh well.” Chrissy replied. And Waverly really felt that, Chrissy was from a similarly small town in Nebraska and they both seemed to have similar career goals, though Chrissy wanted to be a human doctor, Waverly looked to eventually become a vet.  
  
                “Well I was able to load all but these two boxes onto the dolly I’ll grab one and if one of you girls wants to stay down here and watch it I’ll grab the other in a few minutes.” Sheriff Nedley said.  
  
                “No, its ok, I got it, I didn’t have to carry much up today so I’m not so tired.” It was true, Wynonna had carried the few boxes that couldn’t make it on the first trip. All three of them walked onto the elevator and made their way up to the seventh floor.

 

               When they got up there and out into the hallway it seemed that chaos had broken loose on the floor. Two boys rushed down the hallway to catch the elevator and knocked into her slightly, shouting a sorry and just as she almost regained her balance a tall woman with bright red hair knocked into her, causing her to drop the box. The girl turned her head and Waverly was momentarily mute.  
  
                “Sorry, didn’t mean to hit you” The stranger said, a slight southern accent coming through her voice and her cheeks flushed pink either from running or embarrassment—Waverly couldn’t tell. Just then a voice called from the elevator.  
  
                “Hurry Haughtshot! Elevator won’t wait forever and the cafeteria is almost closing!” With that the red head gave a shy smile and turned and ran to the door.  
  
                A second after the door closed Waverly got her wits about her and uselessly yelled, “Well watch where you’re going next time!” to no one. She already hated that girl.


	2. Icing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly meets Jeremy and goes to a Floor dinner. Thrilling stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, So I yes, I changed the mascot of the University of Wyoming, but I just couldnt resist. I also changed their colors because I basically saw these shoes and just fell in love with the color pallet, I mean look at them! 
> 
> https://sneakerpolitics.com/collections/new/products/nike-air-max-1-team-red-red-orbit-gum-green-abyss
> 
> I just handed in a huge paper and now I am studying for finals so dont expect an update until around december 20th.
> 
> hit me up at my tumblr snarfingwriter: https://snarfingwriter.tumblr.com/  
> anyway hope you enjoy!

                Orientation was in full swing, and Waverly was embarrassed to admit she was loving it. If anyone asked, she’d certainly groan and mention something about all the icebreakers and how if she had to come up with one more adjective that started with W to introduce herself, she was going to lose it, but she was having a good time.

               There were a few nice kids in her group, like a boy named Jeremy who said he was majoring in chemistry too and seemed equally excited as her. They had planned to go buy their textbooks together later in the day now that they had finally spoken to their guidance counselors and gone over their schedules. Apparently, there was a bus stop behind the science building and next to the hockey stadium. So the two of them had agreed to head over to the bookstore after todays festivities wrapped up. The two started heading towards where the shuttle was leaving from.

  
                “We have a floor dinner tonight, so I can only go to the bookstore if we can make it back by six tonight, ok?” Waverly said, her mind already trying to get her schedule in order for the night.

  
                “That sounds fine. I mean my counselor said that the bookstore should have our books already set aside since we didn’t get to pick out our classes this semester. What did they say you’re taking?” There was still a sort of awkwardness to conversations with the other freshman, each person sort of rambling and just hoping that whoever they were talking to would become their new best friend, but Jeremy seemed sweet enough, kind of geeky but Waverly was kind of geeky too.

  
                “Oh, uh besides the chemistry classes we’re both in, intro to philosophy, calc, and ice skating of all things.  The last ice skating one isn’t even worth any credits.” Waverly had been surprised to learn that they put first years into wellness classes, which seemed to be college codeword for gym, unless they were on a sport team that year. She supposed it could be worse, it seemed like some of the other students she was with had been signed up to cross country running which met at the god forsaken hour of six am. Waverly was an early riser but not _that_ early.  Besides, everyone at this school seemed obsessed with hockey and ice skating in general, so it seemed like as good of a time as any to learn how to skate.

  
                “They have me signed up for an archaeology class! It sounds super cool! If you need help learning how to skate let me know, don’t tell anyone but you’re looking at Buckaroo the Cowboy himself.” Jeremy whispered-yelled the end of it, hand covering his mouth jokingly.

  
                “You mean the big Kangaroo in a hockey uniform that skates around pulling t-shirts out of her pouch at games?” She cocked her head while she pictured her awkward friend riling up the crowd.

  
                “Actually Buckaroo is a boy kangaroo, and yes I know male kangaroos don’t have pouches but I guess they just didn’t think about that.” The shuttle rolled up right then, painted burgundy and sky blue to match the schools colors.

  
                The bus made a deafening screeching sound as it stopped—definitely sounds safe—and the door swung open as Waverly, Jeremy and the others looking to buy their books shuffled forward to get on the bus. Students poured out of the bus loud and boisterous. Some of the boys from her floor walked off the bus along with some girls in athletic gear, she thought she remembered some of their names, Perry and maybe Brian? Bryce? Who knew. She had only met them briefly before at the two RA meetings they had, and that’s when she found out a good percentage of the surrounding floors were hockey players, from both the men and women’s team. It turns out students on athletic scholarships were required to live in the dorms, and with her RA, Mattie, apparently being the goalie for the girl’s team, many of them got placed on her floor.

                Waverly picked up her hand to wave at them when a tall, pale girl with red hair falling out of a backwards blue and yellow predator’s cap walked out. This was the girl that had so carelessly knocked into her while running through the hall. She hadn’t seen her again since the incident, thankfully, but her anger was still fresh. The rude stranger’s brown eyes met hers and her greeting died on her lips. Waverly was not usually one to hold a grudge, but something about the way the girl had pushed over her and then not even waited for her to confirm she was ok or that nothing she was holding had broken rubbed her the wrong way.   
                “Waverly, hows it going!” Brian or Bryce or Byron waved excitedly while he spoke.   
                The Stranger quirked an eyebrow and Waverly realized she was staring and hurriedly looked away from her. “Sorry cant stay and, Jeremy and me are headed to buy our textbooks, see you guys tonight at the floor dinner?” Her eyes flicked up to the redheads briefly, glad that she seemed to not be living on her floor, considering that Waverly had run into nearly everyone at least once or twice since she got here and had yet to see her again.

                “Yup, see you there, we’re just headed to the rink for a bit to practice, maybe hit the weight room. “ With that the group of hockey players were off and she and Jeremy walked onto the bus, taking their seat near the door.

                “I didn’t know you were friends with the hockey team.” Jeremy huffed out as he shifted in his seat.

                “Not really, well not yet anyway. I live on the same floor as a bunch of them and we are bonded together by the RA meetings and floor dinners we’re forced into.” She waved her hand dismissively while she spoke. “I guess the red head is on the hockey team too then? Something about her rubs me the wrong way. I guess I cant stand the jock type – no offense.”

  
                “Oh I don’t think most people consider mascots the jock type. Certainly not jocks.” Jeremy laughed awkwardly at the end of his sentence. He seemed to do a lot of things awkwardly. It was sort of endearing, really. The bus jolted forward as the breaks were released and pulled away from the stop with another ear-piercing screech.  
               

\---------  
                Waverly could hear Mattie knocking on every door starting at one end of the hall and quickly crescendoing as it got closer to her door. Shouts of “Floor dinner in 5!” followed every knock. Waverly took one quick glance in her mirror, doing her best to fix the loose strands that hung out of her ponytail, but eventually giving up. Chrissy was hanging out with some of the girls she met at orientation, but Waverly had wanted to relax after dropping her textbooks off and look through them just a little before the floor dinner started.

                Waverly was one of the last people to meet the crowd of college students that were waiting in the lobby of the dorm building, but she quickly found Chrissy who was hanging out with a few other people on their floor. Chrissy and Waverly had promised to sit near each other and it looked like upholding that promise meant sitting with whoever Chrissy had also roped into the plan.

                “Alright floor seven, lets get going to the dining hall, apparently today is philly cheese steak day so we’re in luck.” Mattie’s voice boomed in the small lobby in an effort to be heard over the chatter, but everyone seemed to get the message and started to slowly walk to the dining hall.

                To Waverly’s relief, philly cheesesteak day included marinated mushrooms and tofu as options. The school even offered daiya cheese which was nice, she wasn’t a vegan yet but she had been considering making the change. Waverly was a vegetarian ever since a calf she had bottle fed reached age and was sent to the slaughter house. Just another thing on the long list of qualities she had that disappointed her family. She ordered a mushroom philly with vegan cheese and grabbed a serving of French fries before heading back to the long table at the end.

                Her eyes scanned across the table as she looked for her friend who had gone for a deli meat sandwich. Her eyes locked with brown ones and a brief moment of panic went through her. Great, it looked like either the rude stranger had decided to crash the floor dinner, or more likely, did in fact live on her floor. Waverly was already dreading having to make small talk with her as she passed her in the hall.  The red head tilted her head and waved again, gesturing to the seat near her. It was then that Waverly noticed she was staring again, too consumed with her anger to realize it, she shook herself out of it and went to sit next to Chrissy at the end of the table.

                She was quickly introduced to the people across from her, a boy who insisted on being called Champ because he had the only assist to the final goal at the mountain west conference tournament—a memory Champ explained with excruciating detail unprompted and a girl named Stephanie who seemed nice enough but was glued to her phone, apparently just texting a boyfriend back home. She noticed Champ was eating what looked like just a pile of steak on a plate with cheese on it, weird.

                “Yeah, I can’t have gluten, it makes my head unclear, I must be intolerant or something.” Champ boasted when asked, barely pausing to his near constant shoveling of food into his mouth to respond. Waverly resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that, it figures he’d be the type that would placebo effect his way into avoiding gluten. “I really think it helps me with my game, I need to grab another plate though, we had today was a two a day practice and I’m starved.”

                Once Champ left the table Chrissy leaned over “I think he’s interested in you, I caught him starting down your shirt.” Waverly shifted uncomfortably at that. “I’m kidding, but he did seem interested.”

                “Yeah, I guess he was pretty cute, I guess we’ll have to just wait and see.” The dinner went on without much fanfare, Champ returned with another plate of steak and cheese and the four of them chatted about upcoming classes a bit after convincing Stephanie to put away the phone for now. When Waverly mentioned she was taking ice skating Champ offered to help her out if she had any trouble, and she found that she didn’t mind the attention. Champ seemed nice at least, even if nothing special.

                The four of them walked back to the room, the sun just setting as they got inside. Waverly had almost forgotten about the rude red head living on her floor until she got back to her room. The room across the hall had their door open for the first time so far, and in it sat her arch nemesis (she just decided that as the stranger gave her a wave) on a couch with an xbox controller in her hand and a girl she knew was named Rosita talking animatedly to her.

                Waverly sighed as she unlocked her door and shot off a text to her sister.

  
**8:04 Me:**  This is going to be a long year, I already have an arch nemesis.   


**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think/what you might want out of this fic. I'm open to criticism and am looking for a beta reader.


End file.
